'Generous Orthodoxy' was a phrase that the founders of St Mellitus College used in its early days to describe the approach the college took to bringing together the mainstream traditions of the church in a mission-focussed and Spirit-inspired way, as it sought to train students across the breadth of the Church of England and beyond. It is a phrase that appears to have been coined by the theologian Hans Frei, and since the early days of St Mellitus, seems to have been used more and more widely across the church. Inevitably, such a phrase can be used in a number of different ways, and can sometimes confuse as much as it can clarify.

The McDonald Agape Foundation has kindly funded a three-year research project to help bring some theological and spiritual clarity to the term, and to try to define as far as possible, what we at St Mellitus College mean by ‘Generous Orthodoxy’. The project leader is the Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington, and President of St Mellitus College, as well as its first Dean. The project will comprise a number of public lectures, a colloquium bringing together theologians from across the world to share their ideas on the topic, and will result in a couple of published books.

View some resources below, including an article, and a series of lectures which have also generously been funded by the McDonald Agape Foundation.